1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to financial data processing, and in particular it relates to incentive and promotional programs.
2. Related Art
Consumers are constantly searching for information on products and services that may be of interest to them, but with which they have no actual experience. They typically seek independent information before making certain purchases. Various sources provide reports on products and services to satisfy this consumer demand for information. For example, ZAGATS provides ratings on restaurants and CONSUMER REPORTS provides detailed listings on product quality and customer satisfaction. When making a purchase of a selected product on web sites such as AMAZON.COM, information is typically provided about other products purchased by customers who have also purchased the selected product.
Consumers frequently use credit, debit, stored value or charge cards (collectively referred to herein as credit instruments) in transactions with various merchants. This data is collected and processed en mass by credit providers for billing purposes and the like. However, little has been done to harness such card member transaction details for marketing purposes.